Considering Oracle Cloud Archive Storage? Using Tape Could Help You Save BIG

R ecently, Quantum has had some success displacing Oracle tape libraries with Quantum Scalar® tape libraries. Our focus on tape and continued investment in storage technologies—like our new Scalar i3 and Scalar i6 tape libraries with the best storage density, and the introduction of LTO-8 this quarter—have motivated customers to switch and save costs.

One conversation that we’ve had with these accounts and prospects is their consideration of Oracle Cloud Archive Storage as an alternative to tape. So, for those who are looking at it, let’s compare the two options: Using Oracle Cloud Archive Storage or on-premise Scalar tape with LTO-8.

First, let’s talk about the technology used for the infrastructure. What storage is used inside Oracle’s Cloud data centers? My guess is Oracle tape. At least if Oracle is building its “cold storage” service infrastructure the same way as the other cloud vendors, I would bet it’s using tape.

So, the question is, do you want to purchase your own tape for on-premise storage, or pay Oracle to store data on its tape libraries hosted in its data centers?

Let’s compare Oracle Archive Storage with Scalar tape:

Clearly Scalar tape has some advantages—which is why the big cloud companies use tape as a key part of their infrastructure.

Let’s look at the price comparison in a bit more detail:

From a pricing standpoint, on-premise tape is one-third to one-fourth of the cost of Oracle Cloud Archive Storage over five years. (I’ve included details on how I did this comparison at the end of this post.)

In summary, if you’re considering Oracle Cloud Archive Storage as an alternative to tape, you owe it to yourself to consider on-premise Scalar tape from Quantum.